Who Can Apply

Who can apply for strata dispute resolution at the CRT?

The Civil Resolution Tribunal Act allows strata owners, tenants, and strata corporations to enforce their rights and obligations through the CRT’s dispute resolution process. This legislation does not allow an occupant to use the CRT’s dispute resolution process. A strata property manager cannot apply for strata dispute resolution, or be named as a respondent in a strata dispute. A strata property manager can help the strata council complete CRT documents.

Definitions

These are some of the main differences between owners, tenants and occupants under the Strata Property Act.

The Strata Property Act sets out some of the rights and obligations of strata owners, tenants, and strata corporations. The Civil Resolution Tribunal Act allows strata owners, tenants, and strata corporations to enforce those rights and obligations through the CRT’s dispute resolution process. This legislation does not allow an occupant to use the CRT’s dispute resolution process.

An occupant who needs the CRT to resolve a problem will have to pursue a claim through the owner or tenant they reside with.

The CRT is based online. This means the CRT’s dispute resolution process works best when applications and forms are completed online as well. It makes it much easier for the CRT to help you resolve your dispute quickly and efficiently. You can apply online by starting with the Solution Explorer.

We walk you through it step-by-step. If you don’t want to do it alone, just ask a trusted friend or family member to help you. If you still have trouble getting online, don’t worry. We can serve you by mail or telephone.

If you are unable to apply online, you can ask the CRT to send you a paper application form by calling us at 1 844-322-2292 (toll-free in Canada).

Disputes usually can’t be resolved in two places at the same time. Also, if a dispute has already been resolved in a legally binding process, it can’t usually be resolved a second time. Legally binding dispute resolution processes can happen in a court or tribunal. They can also happen through an arbitration process.

If someone applies for dispute resolution with the CRT, it’s important for the Tribunal to know if another dispute resolution process is already underway. It’s also important for us to know if it’s already been resolved somewhere else.

The CRT can’t accept an application for dispute resolution if the same issue is currently before another court or tribunal. If your issue is currently before another court or tribunal, the CRT will ask you to withdraw your CRT application, or suspend your case in the other proceeding, before your CRT dispute can continue.

On the other hand, if someone has started a claim against you in another court or tribunal, you can’t start a CRT application to try to force them to come to the CRT instead. In those cases, the other party will have to agree to withdraw or suspend their case in the other proceeding, before your CRT dispute can continue.

We ask applicants to answer a question about other dispute resolution processes. But if you think that this issue has been missed or overlooked, it’s important to let the Tribunal know immediately.